Libyan tribesmen protested
at the giant El Sharara oilfield on Saturday and shut down
production, the force guarding the facility and a spokesman for
the protesters said.

State oil firm NOC had no immediate comment. Closing down an
oilfield takes time. Engineers at the field had earlier given
conflicting reports about whether oil was flowing or was being
halted.

The tribesmen calling themselves the Fezzan Anger Movement
were protesting to demand more development help for their
community. Fezzan is the historic name of the southern region of
Libya where El Sharara oilfield is located.

"We as the force securing the field inform you that the
Fezzan Anger Movement entered the field and stopped the
production in line with the demands of the movement," the local
oil force guarding the facility said in a statement.